Recommended Books by Grade Level

Introduction: I (Rachel) plan to teach my kids Chinese history and culture (including portrait study where I can) as they grow up. My oldest is in 4th grade and we've been going through this schedule for our Chinese history in school. These are all recommended readings. It’s always best if you, the parent, reads the books before reading them to your child or read them before your child reads them. I personally haven’t read every book on this list, but I would love to someday! I’ve read most of them. This list is and always will be a “work in progress,” but here’s what I got so far. I hope it helps you and your family. When you add in Chinese history and culture into your homeschool you have to think of how much or little you want to add in, according to your family. Sep 2023.

1. Grade 1. This year we’ll go through ancient history: the Xia Dynasty (2100-1766 BC), the Shang Dynasty (1766-1046 BC), and the Zhou Dynasty (1046-221 BC) [which includes the Spring and Autumn Periods (770-476 BC) and the Warring States Period (475-221 BC)]. Read through The Storybook of China by Rachel Bubb: Chapters 1-13. The Storybook of China is available as a printed book on amazon or an e-book on www.lulu.com. 
1. Lang Jie: The Inventor of Chinese Characters. By Li Jian. (A story from the Shang Dynasty). 
2. Biography: The Unknown Ruler: Shao Kang by Rachel Bubb and/or Fan Li The Businessman by Rachel Bubb and/or Fu Hao: The Warrior Queen by Rachel Bubb. All are available on amazon as a printed book or as an ebook on www.lulu.com. These are chapter books that could be read aloud. They are also available in a collection called 10 People From China Long Ago by Rachel Bubb, a PDF book available on www.inknewspaper.net for $5.
3. Optional Readings. These books talk about Chinese myths. Li Jian also wrote some books about the zodiac and the 12 animals that make up the 12 year cycle. In China, each year is assigned an animal and these books are about that. The Water Dragon: A Chinese Legend. By Li Jian. This isn’t a true story, but one of the legends of old. It’s about a boy who found a magic stone that helped money and food become more. He gave money and food to the poor. This books is also bilingual: Chinese and English. The Little Monkey King’s Journey by Li Jian. This tells the famous story/ legend about the Monkey King. This is a story that most people know in China. This book is also bilingual: Chinese and English.
2. Grade 2:  This year we’ll go through the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) and the Han Dynasty (202 BC-220 AD). Read through The Storybook of China: Chapters 14-23. The Storybook of China is available as a printed book on amazon or an e-book on www.lulu.com.
1. Qin Dynasty Picture books: Ming’s Adventure with the Terracotta Army. By Li Jian. This is a book about a boy who visits the Terra Cotta Soldiers but at night dreams of himself as talking with a real soldier from the Qin Dynasty. One or all of three of the following picture books about the Great Wall: 1. Ming’s Adventure on China’s Great Wall. By Li Jian. Ming and his dad visit the Great Wall. They take a wrong turn and end up meeting all kinds of people in China’s history. This books is also bilingual: Chinese and English. 2. You Wouldn’t Want to Work on the Great Wall of China! By Jacqueline Morley. This is a funny story about the people who built the wall. It’s a picture book. 3. The Emperor Who Built the Great Wall (Once Upon a Time in China) by Jillian Lin. 
2. Han Dynasty Picture Books (choose some): Cai Lun: The Creator of Paper. By Li Jian., The Clever Doctor of China (Hua Tuo) by Jillian Lin., The Star Gazer of China (Zheng Heng) by Jillian Lin.
3. Biography: Princess Wang Zhao Jun by Rachel Bubb and/or Liu Xuan: From Prison to Emperor by Rachel Bubb. Both are available as printed books on amazon or as e-books on www.lulu.com. These are chapter books that could be read aloud. They are also available in a collection called 10 People From China Long Ago by Rachel Bubb, a PDF book available on www.inknewspaper.net for $5.
3. Grade 3: This year we’ll go through the Three Kingdoms Period (220-581 AD), the Sui Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the Period of Division (907-960 AD), and the Song Dynasty (960-1271 AD). Read through The Storybook of China: Chapters 24-33. The Storybook of China is available as a printed book on amazon or an e-book on www.lulu.com.
1. Picture books: Mulan by Li Jian. This is a story of a girl that dresses up as a boy to fight in a war. This books is also bilingual: Chinese and English., The Girl Emperor of China (Wu Zetian) by Jillian Lin. 
2. Biography: Zhuge Liang: The Clever General by Rachel Bubb and/or Princess Wencheng by Rachel Bubb and/or Empress Zhangxian Mingsu: The Musician Who Became Empress and/or Yue Fei: The Famous General. All are available as printed books on amazon or as e-books on www.lulu.com. These are chapter books that could be read aloud.
3. One of the following Geography books: Where’s the Yangtze? (General geography of China) and Where’s the Yellow River? (Physical geography of China) by Rachel Bubb are geography books for kids with pictures, maps, drawings, stories, and activity ideas. Available as a printed book on amazon.com or as an ebook on www.lulu.com.
4. Grade 4:This year we’ll go through the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD), and the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD).  Read through The Storybook of China: Chapters 34-44. The Storybook of China is available as a printed book on amazon or an e-book on www.lulu.com.
1. Picture Books. Choose one of the following books about Zhenghe: Zheng He: The Great Chinese Explorer. By Li Jian, The Happy Sailor of China (Zheng He) by Jillian Lin. Or The Great Voyages of Zheng He by Demi (author/illustrator) and Renee Ting (editor). Genghis Khan: The Brave Warrior Who Bridged East and West. By Li Jian. The Pirate King of China by Jillian Lin. Ming’s Adventure in the Forbidden City. By Li Jian.
2. One of the following Geography books (whichever one you didn’t do the year before): Where’s the Yangtze? (General geography of China) and Where’s the Yellow River? (Physical geography of China) by Rachel Bubb are geography books for kids with pictures, maps, drawings, stories, and activity ideas. Available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net ($5).
3. Biography: Cixi: One of the Last Empresses of China by Rachel Bubb. Cixi helped run the country while her son and then her nephew were emperors but too young to rule. Available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com. They are also available in a collection called 10 People From China Long Ago by Rachel Bubb, a PDF book available on www.inknewspaper.net for $5.
4. Kublai Khan's Gardener. This is a story about a gardener that was in charge of a forest of trees on a hill that belonged to Kublai Khan. He has different challenges finding and keeping these trees alive and has to travel occasionally to get more trees. Available on www.inknewspaper.net or www.livingbookpress.com ($5). 
5. Grade 5: This year we start the history cycle over again and go through ancient history (Xia Dynasty, Zhou Dynasty, Qin Dynasty, and the Han Dynasty), all the way to 220 AD.
1. Read Chinese History Stories from the Zhou Dynasty. Volume 1. This volume goes from the Zhou Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty. Also read “The Banquet at Hongmen” and “Han Xing Becomes Commander-in-Chief” from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2. Try to read the stories in the dynasty you’re studying. Some of these stories are in the Zhou, some are in the Qin and others are in the Han Dynasty.
2. From History of China: Part 1 by Rachel Bubb. Read Chapters 1-7. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
3. Optional reading: Chapters 1 and 2 in Stories from Xi’an by Rachel Bubb. Xi’an was the capital of China several times in ancient history. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
6. Grade 6: This year we go from the Three Kingdoms Period (220 AD) all the way through the Sui Dynasty (618 AD). Read “Zhou Chu and the Three Evils” from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2. And from History of China: Part 1 by Rachel Bubb. Read Chapters 8-10. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net.
1. Optional reading: read part of The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a famous novel that takes place during this time. Pre-read the part you’re reading first for maturity and understanding level of your student. 
2. Poetry Study: There are some famous poets from this time. Read some of their poetry. There are the “Seven Masters of the Bamboo Graves” (Ruan Ji, Ji Kong, Shan Tao, Liu Ling, Ryan Xian, Xiang Xiu, and Wang Long) as well as Tao Qian who wrote poems about nature. 
3. Portrait Study: Gu Kaizhi (344-406 BC). He painted Daoist landscapes and did some calligraphy. He was also famous for doing portraits of people. http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/gallery-gu-kaizhi.php. (China Online Museum) has a collection of his works online. And  Zhang Sengyou (420-589). It’s said that he could “paint the eyes of a dragon.” Some of his artwork has some Buddhist influences in them. 
7. Grade 7: This year we’re going to focus on the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD). Read “The Beloved Princess Wencheng in Tibet.” From Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2 and Chapter 11 in History of China: Part 1 by Rachel Bubb. Read Chapters 8-10. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com. Also read chapter 4 in Stories from Xi’an by Rachel Bubb. Xi’an was the capital of China during this time. Available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
1. Optional reading: Journey to the West is one of China’s classical novels. It was written during the Ming Dynasty but takes place during the Tang Dynasty. It’s where a monkey has to travel with XuaZhong, the Buddhist Monk to go to India and back. The story itself is really, really popular and has been done many times in Chinese TV shows. Read a summary or part of the book to your student but read it first to check for the maturity and understanding level of the student. 
2. Poetry: read some of the poetry from this time period. There are some famous poets: Du Fu (his poem “Spring View” is famous), Li Bai, and Li Shangyin, and Du Mu (his poem “The Mourning Day” also known as “Pure Brightness” is often read during the Tomb Sweeping Holiday. It talked about the decline of the Tang Dynasty). 
3. Portrait Study (choose one of the following): 
1. Wu Daozi (680-759). His most famous work is “87 Immortals.” There’s a short biography about him on the China Online Museum (http://www.chinaonlinemuseum.com/painting-wu-daozi.php). 
2. Yan Liben (601-673). His most famous painting is The 13 Emperors, which you can see on the China Online Museum. Also look for “An Audience with Tai Zong.” 
3. Zhang Xuan (713-755 AD). He paints a lot of people on horses and women in daily life (making silk, etc…). Either Wang Wei or Li Sixun. They were both landscape painters from this time period. 
8. Grade 8: This year we’ll go through the Period of Division to the Yuan Dynasty (906-1368 AD). Read “Yue Fei, the Ever-Victorious General” from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2.  From History of China: Part 2 by Rachel Bubb, read Chapters 1-3. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
1. Read a biography about Marco Polo or part of his writings from his trip to Asia. Marco Polo lived from 1254-1323. Read “Kubla Khan” by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. This is a pom about Kublai Khan. If you can find a great book about Mongolian culture, try and read it because it was during this time that Mongolia took over China. Or a great biography of Kublai Khan would work too.
2. Poetry Study: “Among the Flowers” by Wei Zhao Chongza is a collection of lyrical poetry (poetry put to songs) from this time period. Maybe read a few excerpts if you can find it. Some of this poetry might be too hard for 8th graders so read a few yourself to see if they would be appropriate for your 8th grader first. “Pusaman” by Wen Tinyuan (FeiQing) is a famous poem from this time period. Read it first to see if it’s suitable for your 8th grader. If you can find one of the words for the operas by Guan Han Qing. He’s considered to be the “Shakespeare” of the Chinese language (before Shakespeare lived). His most famous operas are: The Riverside Pavillion (a comedy), Snow in Midsummer (a tragedy), and Long Guan Goes to the Feast (a historical drama from the Three-Kingdom Period). If you can find the stories to read or summaries instead, it might be better because these are best read in their original language, Chinese (unless, of course, your student’s Chinese is super good!).
3. Portrait Study: Zhang Zeduan (1085-1145). His most famous painting is a super long scroll called “Along the River During the Qing Ming Festival.” You could actually divide the scroll into a few chunks and do a chunk per class (one per week). Also, one of these painters:
1. Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322). He was most famous for his paintings of horses.
2. One of the 4 great master painters of the Yuan Dynasty: Huang Gongwang, Ni Zan, Wu Zhen, and Wang Meng. 
9. Grade 9: This year we’ll go through the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 AD). Read “Qi Jiguang Defends China” from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2, and  “Zheng Chenggong and the Battle for Taiwan” from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2. Also read Chapter 4 in History of China: Part 2 by Rachel Bubb. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
1. The Ming Dynasty was when the novel became popular in China. One of the famous ones was “The Outlaws of the Marsh.” You can have students read part or all of it. I’d advice you to reread it first to see if it would be suitable for your 9th grader. 
2. The Scholars by Wu Ching Tzu is one of China’s famous classical novels. It was written in the 1750s during the Qing Dynasty, but the story itself takes place in the Ming Dynasty. It’s a very big book but reading a few chapters would give a taste of what this novel is about. Read it first so you can have an idea if it’s too mature for your student.
3. Portrait Study: one of the following: Bian Wenjin (famous for painting birds and flowers), Dai Jin (1388-1462). He often painted landscapes with people or buildings in them, or Shen Zhou (1427-1509 AD). His landscape paintings have a particular style to them. Maybe this is something students can pick up on. 
10. Grade 10: This year we’ll go through the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD). Read Lin Zexu, National Hero from Chinese History: Stories from the Imperial Era. Volume 2. Also read Chapter 5 in History of China: Part 2 by Rachel Bubb. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknewspaper.net. 
1. PuYi, the last emperor of China, wrote an autobiography: From Emperor to Citizen. There’s also movie made about him: “The Last Emperor” (1987). He’s an interesting writer that makes history come alive. Read part or all of one of his books. His autobiography is in 2 books: From Emperor to Citizen. Read it first before having your student read it. As a note to parents, Pu Yi later in his life was gay. I don’t think he writes about it much in his books, but you might want to pre-read Pu Yi’s books before you have your students read them. PuYi’s tutor wrote about his experiences of working with PuYi (from 1919 to 1924) when he was young in a book called “Twilight in the Forbidden City” (1934). This might also be a great option.
2. Portrait Study (Choose one of the following): Yuan Jiang (1671-1746). He painted lots of long scrolls and panels that, when fit together, form one picture. Looks for “Gentlemen Conversing in a Landscape.” Gong Xian (1618-1689)- He did primarily landscapes but has a particular way of shading them that is very unique. Look for “A Thousand Peaks and Myriad Ravines.”  
11. Grades 11-12: Modern History. Read chapters 6-7 in History of China: Part 2 by Rachel Bubb. This book is available as a printed book on amazon or as an ebook on www.lulu.com or www.inknwespaper.net. 
1. In the early 1920s 1930s there were a lot of explorers that came from Europe to Central Asia and parts of China. Most of them kept journals which are fun and amusing to read. One of my favorites is from Sven Hadin who was from Sweden. He tried to cross the Tamalakhan Desert, trying to find the route that Marco Polo traveled on many years before. He kept a journal during his travels. He almost died of thirst when he crossed the desert; many of the camels and people traveling with him died because they couldn’t find water. Look for My Life as an Explorer available online at www.archive.org or as a printed book on amazon (used copy). Also look for books by Mildred Cable and the French Sisters, a group of 3 expat ladies who lived and traveled throughout Western China in the early 1900s. These might be available on www.archive.org or amazon.com. 
2. The Burma Road: The Epic Story of One of World War 2’s Most Remarkable Endeavors by Donovan Webster (2005). Read it first before having your student read it.
3. Optional Reading (read them first before having your student read them to check for maturity level and understanding). Lu Xun is a famous author from the 1900s. His 2 famous books are: A madman’s Diary and The True Story of Ah-Q, “Rikshaws” by LaoShe, A great biography about either Qiang Kai-Shek or Mao Zedong might be interesting. The Private Life of Chariman Mao is a biography written by Mao ZeDong’s close friend and doctor. It’s a huge book and hard to get through all of it; just choose 1-2 chapters. Read it first before having your student read it. Wild Swans by Jung Chang. The story of 3 generations of women who lived in the 1900s. It’s a big book, but a great way to see modern history through everyday people’s lives. It’s a huge book and will take quite some time to read. Buy Me the Sky, by Xinran talks about the one-child only policy that was in China for many years. She interviews people and families that dealt with it and tells their stories. Read it before giving it to your students to read- there are some parts that aren’t appropriate for every high schooler. The Burma Road: The Epic Story of One of World War 2’s Most Remarkable Endeavors by Donovan Webster (2005). Read it first before having your student read it.
4. Portrait Study: Li Hua (1907-1994). was famous for his wood carvings where he carved wood to make pictures (woodcut prints).